Locking device



Patented Aug. 30, 1938 'UNITED sTArs PATNT OFFICE Application August 4, 1937, Serial No. 157,449

In Sweden December 1l, 1935 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a locking device intended particularly for gates.

As is known, common sliding bolt locks are unsuitable as gate locks since the bolts are easily damaged by the stresses which are a direct or indirect consequence of the sinkings unavoidable in gates, and also by the influence of the weather.

Attempts have been made in the old locking devices to eliminate such drawbacks but the known devices are liable to damage or they are complicated, and it is diilicult to obtain a simple bolting of the locks, particularly if one wishes to have access to the bolts from both sides of the gate.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate such drawbacks. According to the invention one or two substantially horizontal lock handles are directly connected with a substantially vertical locking arm which cooperates with a keeper to secure the gate in a closed position. The locking arm is spring pressed away iro-m a lock plate and together with the handles forms an angular lever whichis svvingable around a horizontal shaft mounted in the lock plate in order to directly actuate the locking arm by vertical pressure upon the handles.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a front view of the locking device without the keeper;

Figure 2 is a lateral view of the locking device showing the bolt device; and

Figures 3 to 5 show three modied embodiments of the keeper viewed from above.

In the drawingl indicates part of a gate and 2 part of a gate post or a second gate. 3 is a lock plate secured to the gate I and provided with a bearing 4 for a, horizontal pin 5. One end 'I of the spring 6 is secured to the pin and the other end 8 rests against a shoulder 9 of the bearing 4. At each end of the pin 5 there is a handle IID. The handles are connectedto one another by a stirrup II having a projection I2, which together form a locking arm which is swingable against the action of the spring by means of the handles. 'I'he spring 6 tends to swing the locking arm- II, I2 away from the lock plates 3. The swinging motion is limited by a shoulder I3 secured to the plate 3 above the locking arm. The shoulder also provides a protective cap to prevent snow and the like from entering behind the locking arm. However, the shoulder maybe located at some other place on the lock plate 3. On the gate post or on the second gate 2 there is at a level with the pro- Vjection I2 a keeper I4 provided with a recess I5 into which the projection I2 of the locking arm may enter. The keeper may have any of the shapes illustrated in Figures 3 to 5. In the keeper according to Figure 3 an upwardly bent flange I8 cooperates with the shoulder I3, as shown in Figure 2, and thus the locking arm I2 is relieved of shocks when the gate is closed. The keepers according to Figures 3 and 4 are intended for gates adapted to be opened in one direction only, and the keeper according to Figure 5 is intended for gates adapted to belopened in two directions.

The locking arm is preferably formed almost as an inverted Y with rather long legs, by which a great play arises between the arm and its fulcrum whereby foreign matter possibly entering between the arm and the lock plate simply glides away and, consequently, cannot interfere with the function of the lock.

Behind the plate 3 there is provided a key lock I6 of arbitrary construction with sliding bolt I1 or the like, which in the extended position lies in the path of motion of the locking arm and prevents the locking arm from swinging back against the action of the spring 6. The bolt I1 lies protected under the protective cap I3. Consequently, the lock bolt is protected against any breaking stress.

As will be seen from the drawing a rather great relative vertical displacement between the locking arm and the keeper is possible without jeopardizing the reliable operation of the lock.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 7

1. In a locking device particularly adapted for swinging gates, a lock plate arranged along a vertical edge of the gate, a horizontal shaft carried by said plate, a locking arm extendingr substantially vertically along said plate and a portion of said locking .arm extending in a substantially horizontal direction from the lower end of the locking arm to provide a handle, the locking arm being pivotally mounted on said shaft, a spring tending to move the vertical portion of the locking arm away from the edge of the gate, a shoulder for limiting the outward movement of the locking arm, and said shoulder forming a protective cap covering the upper end of the locking arm.

2. A locking device as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that the locking arm has the shape of `an inverted Y so as to include two lower legs, said lower legs having arms extending from the lower ends thereof in substantially horizontal directions to provide a handle at each side of the gate.

3. A locking device as claimedin claim 1 characterized by the fact that a key lock is provided behind the lock plate, said key lock hav- 

